SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF METALLIC COPPER AND ITS OXIDE NANOPARTICLES BY THERMAL DECOMPOSITION APPROACH USING COPPER(II) PRECURSOR

DINESH KARTHIK ARUNACHALAM¹*, GEETHA KANNAPPAN^2
1P G Department of Chemistry, K. M. G. College of Arts and Science, Gudiyatham - 635 803 Vellore.Dt. Tamil Nadu, India
²Department of Chemistry, P G and Research Department of Chemistry, Muthurangam Govt. Arts College, Vellore - 632 002, Tamil Nadu, India
* Corresponding Author : dineshkarthik2008@gmail.com

Received : 15-12-2013     Accepted : 29-10-2015     Published : 20-11-2015
Volume : 7     Issue : 1       Pages : 164 - 167
Int J Chem Res 7.1 (2015):164-167

Keywords : Metallic nanoparticles, Copper, Capping agent, Thermal reduction and S E M.
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are grateful to the Principal, Muthurangam Govt Arts College and Vellore for providing facilities to undertake this work.
Author Contribution : None declared

Nanoparticles have attracted extensive scientific and industrial interest due to their unique electronic, optical, and catalytic properties. Many techniques such as chemical reduction radiolysis reduction of copper ions with supercritical fluids and thermal decomposition methods are developed to synthesize copper nanoparticles. The primary application of copper nanoparticles is catalysis, just like the bulk copper metal. On the other hand, copper nanoparticles offer higher catalytic efficiency per gram than the bulk one due to their large surface-to volume ratios. Copper and its oxide (Cu2O and CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized by using Copper(II) oxalate precursor and oleylamine as capping agent. Copper and its oxide Nanoparticles so obtained were characterized by UV- Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-Ray diffraction analysis. X-Ray diffraction analysis proves the formation of Copper and its oxide Nanoparticles. SEM and AFM analyses show the presence of nanoparticles.